Page 3 of Certified Pressure 4
“Kash… bitch… I don’t even know what to say,” Toni said, her voice low and shaky, like she was trying to find the right words. “You okay?”
For a second, I couldn’t even answer because the question hit me wrong. I could feel the pause between us stretch out. It was heavy and awkward, like we both knew what she was reallythinking. Just hours ago, Toni saw this man walk away from me in front of everybody, so why would she be calling me now?
My throat went dry. “Why you asking that?” I asked slowly.
Toni sighed hard on the other end. “Because… Pressure got shot.”
My whole body locked up. My heart dropped straight to my ass, and it felt like the room tilted. “What?” I said, even though I already knew exactly what she was about to say.
Toni kept talking, her words rushing over me like a wave. “Bitch, it’s crazy down here. I swear, it look like a whole damn war zone. Abeni got the hospital on lock. Ain’t nobody gettin’ in or out without security checkin’ IDs and askin’ questions. It’s soldiers outside like the fuckin’ navy pulled up. Every door blocked off, every camera bein’ checked, and she in there cussin’ people out like she run the whole damn world. Kojo standin’ right next to her quiet, but you can tell he just as mad. People movin’ out her way like they already know what time it is with that lady. I’m not even gon’ lie, Kash, it’s bad. It’s real bad.”
My stomach twisted, and for a second, I couldn’t even breathe. I pressed my hand against my chest and whispered, “They… they know who did it?”
“Not yet,” Toni said, “but girl, they pullin’ footage right now. The whole family in there—Kay’Lo, Renza, everybody. It’s too much. Abeni talkin’ about she want the name of whoever shot her son before the night over. I’m tellin’ you, it’s about to get real ugly.”
I froze as my mind went blank for a second. “They said they got footage?”
“Not yet,” Toni replied, her voice even more frantic. “But they lookin’ for it. You know how his family move. Ain’t nobody gon’ rest till they find out who did this shit. I just wanted to tell you, and even though I know he left you at the altar and that was some fucked up shit, I also know how much that man meanto you. I know how hard you loved him, Kash. That’s the only reason I’m even callin’ you right now. I didn’t want you to hear it from social media, on some messy shit.
I swallowed hard, my fingers tightening around the phone. “Do they… do they think he gon’ live?”
There was silence for a moment. I could hear people yelling in the background on her end. “They don’t even know,” she said finally. “Girl, it’s a mess. The whole lobby packed. Everybody cryin’. His mama ready to burn this hoe down. I swear, whoever shot Pressure, they gon’ wish they never?—”
“I gotta call you back,” I said quickly, my voice cracking.
“Kash, you okay? Where you at? Do you want me to come to you?”
“No. I’m fine,” I lied. “I just… I need a minute to process all this.”
I hung up before she could say anything else. My heart was pounding so hard it hurt. The sound of Toni’s voice still played in my head, but all I could think about was Abeni. If she was already at the hospital, then shit was about to get real. That woman didn’t play about her son, and she damn sure didn’t play about her family name. I knew it was only a matter of time before she started digging, and once she did, she’d find the truth. All it would take was the right camera angle, one clear frame of my face, and this shit would be over for me.
I pressed my back against the wall and slid down, my mind spinning as flashes from the past came rushing in. I remembered the day I pulled up to Abeni’s mansion and seeing her outside talking with three powerful-looking men in suits. It was a reminder that she was a woman you didn’t cross.
Now, here I was, the one who shot her son. The thought made me want to throw up. There was no telling what the fuck she’d do once she found out. She had money, power, and people who would move for her before she even said a word. I knewwhat kind of reach the Mensah family had, and there wasn’t a corner in Trill-Land far enough for me to hide in if she came for me.
I pressed my hands to my face, trying to calm my breath, but it was useless. Now that reality was hitting me hard, I realized I wasn’t just running from what the fuck I’d done… I was running from the Mensah’s, and that was a death sentence on its own.
I stood there in the middle of the room, still half-naked, crying and whispering to myself that it was an accident. I didn’t mean to pull the trigger. I didn’t mean to shoot him that many times. I just wanted him to hurt like I did.
I wiped my face and forced myself to move. I grabbed an oversized T-shirt from the chair and threw it on, then pulled on a pair of black leggings and slipped into my designer sandals. My hands were trembling as I yanked a large designer suitcase from the top shelf and dropped it on the bed. I grabbed a duffel bag and started filling it with clothes, shoes, and jewelry. Every movement felt frantic and rushed, like my body was moving faster than my mind could keep up. I didn’t even know what I was grabbing anymore. I just knew I had to get the fuck out of here.
I went to the dresser and started pulling drawers open, and snatching anything that looked expensive. My rings, my watches, the chains Pressure bought me; I stuffed them all into the duffel and zipped it shut. My tears kept falling, but I didn’t have time to stop.
Then I went to Pressure’s safe. My fingers shook as I typed in the code. The sound of it unlocking made my stomach twist again. I pulled out stacks of cash, my breath coming out heavy as I counted it in my head. I didn’t even know how much I was taking. I just knew it had to be enough. I grabbed everything I could fit, maybe a million in cash, and stuffed it into the duffel bag.
Once everything was packed, I looked around the room one last time. My eyes landed on a framed photo sitting on the dresser. It was me and Pressure at a party a few months back. He had his arm around me, like I was the only one in the world. I picked it up, stared at it for a long second, and then threw it across the room. The glass shattered against the wall.
I didn’t have time to cry anymore. I had to go.
I grabbed my phone and called for the, then a driver, my voice shaking as I tried to sound normal. “I need the car brought around front.”
“Yes, ma’am,” the driver said. “Five minutes.”
When I hung up, I powered my phone off completely. I couldn’t risk nobody tracking me. My mind was racing the whole time I finished getting ready. I threw on a hoodie, and sunglasses to hide my face. My hands were slick with sweat as I zipped the duffel closed and pulled the suitcase toward the door.
When I stepped outside into the night air, I kept my head down as the driver opened the car door for me. “Good evening, Mrs. Mensah,” he said politely, not suspecting a thing.
My heart skipped, but I forced a small smile. “Evening,” I replied softly.
